Obsidian
by Ailytha Akemeti
Summary: Hodge Starkweather left the Institute. But he was their only tutor. Who replaces him?


**Just a short AN before you dig into my latest product of homework procrastination- I know I have issues with finishing my stories, but in my defense you could hear tumbleweeds going by at my last fic. I have a few stories lying around, and there's a poll on my page for which one I should put up next, so *shrug*. Enjoy. Or don't. **

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><p>Orange streetlamps reflected in the dark, slimy ichor. Far-off police sirens, car screeches, and hollers of indignation punctured the silent New York City suburb.<p>

A black cat leapt out of the way of three figures, clear-cut shadows under the pale moonlight.

Jace wiped his hand on his jeans, frowning. His favorite shirt was drenched in demon blood, clinging to him like a second skin. Golden eyes darted back and forth, constantly on alert.

Isabelle was spotless as always, white dress looking oddly out of place beside her two dully dressed comrades. Her whip coiled loosely around one hand, the tail lazily dragging along the wet pavement.

Alec brought up the rear, imposingly tall. His face was splashed with ichor, hair matted. Cold blue eyes were flecked with annoyance, shining angelic blade still in hand.

"I don't want to be the one to say this, but- I told you so."

Jace rolled his eyes. "How was I meant to know?"

"You could have been more careful- what did you think you were doing, leaping into the fray like that?" Frustration seeped into the dark-haired boy's words.

"Well we got out alive, didn't we?"

"But we might not next time! It was an _entire pack_, Jace! You- we- what were you thinking!" Alec struggled to keep his voice from breaking into shouting.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Look, how about this- as punishment for almost dooming us all, Jace doesn't get to lead a hunt for a month."

"Two weeks."

"Three weeks."

"Fine."

There was silence.

The high spires of the Institute rose into view, mysterious and Gothic against the colorless grey sky. The stars were nowhere to be seen, but the full moon blazed through the winter clouds.

As the group neared the gates of the hallowed ground they called their home, they found a figure already at the gate, seemingly at a loss. Clear curves identified her as female. Isabelle walked up to her curiously, being the only one absent of blood.

"Excuse me, miss, but what are you doing out here on such a cold night?"

The figure appeared to be dressed in robes and pants, face hidden in the shadows of the hood. "Isabelle Lightwood, I presume. Were someone not meant to be here to welcome your new tutor?" The voice seemed ageless, but feminine. It rang of superiority and power, and more than a little irritation. The dark haired girl frowned. "New tutor?"

"Yes, new tutor. Have you been under informed or are you simply slow?"

Alec stepped up from behind Isabelle, scrutinizing the hooded figure. "How do we know you're not a demon in human disguise?"

The figure lifted an arm. The sleeve fell away from their wrist, and revealed four bangles. One was obviously made of seraph, while two grey ones were identified by Alec as iron and silver. The last was one of pure gold. All were inscribed with myriads of runes, protection symbols, and words from the Gray Book.

"Alright then. You say you're our new tutor? Then why couldn't you get into the Institute yourself?"

The supposed new tutor hissed. "Insolent boy. If I can wear runes upon silver on my very wrist, what makes you think I am evil?"

Alec looked at Jace. He looked at Isabelle. Isabelle took out her phone and called Maryse.

"Mom? Yeah, there's some random person out here claiming to be our new tutor- let her in?" Isabelle's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you serious? You don't even want to come out here and- Fine!" She snapped her cell phone shut and rolled her eyes, putting a hand on the gate of the Institute and ushering everyone in, including the hooded figure.

In the elevator, the group realized that the robes were in fact a very long hoodie and skinny jeans. The air of mystery had dropped, but the air of authority emanating from her was unmistakable.

As soon as they the elevator doors opened, Maryse ushered the figure out and muttered apologies, shooting daggers at the teenagers. All wore looks of bewilderment.

They walked off to their respective bedrooms to shower, figuring that if they were to be introduced to their new teacher, they would be done so in the morning.

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><p>At six in the morning, Jace, Isabelle, Alec and Clary were woken hurriedly by Maryse and had reported to the training room, fully dressed in t-shirts, shorts- and in Alec's case- sweatpants, at six thirty. All but Jace were bleary eyed, Clary yawning occasionally. Alec had to bite his own tongue to keep himself awake.<p>

A hooded figure emerged from the doorway, jogging in. Unexpectedly, she was wearing shorts as well. Throwing back the grey hood of her jacket, she took a look at her watch, breathing heavily. "Damn. Four minutes off" she muttered. Shaking out a curtain of black hair as she re-tied her ponytail, she seemed to observe the group for the first time, with thoughtful tawny eyes. Alec realized with a shock that she was probably their age.

Straightening up, she walked over to the four lined up in the middle of the room. Standing with legs apart, she addressed them.

"As you may have figured out by now, I am your new tutor. You may call me Natalie, or simply Ms. Mortman if you wish." If any of them had doubted the girl as their tutor for a moment, the doubts were vanquished upon hearing her voice. It was the same powerful, commanding voice they had heard the night before.

Alec stuttered. "B-But you're probably younger than me!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Correct. I am currently seventeen years of age."

Isabelle shrugged. "Older than me."

"Why- How did you get the job?" Clary said. Jace grimaced at her bluntness.

Natalie frowned. "It really should be none of your business. But seeing I'll be living with you from now on until the youngest of you is twenty years of age,-" she didn't look happy about that "-you might as well know that long story short I had the qualifications and the connections for the Clave to appoint me." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Now- I realize your last tutor only taught you bookwork, but that will not be the case with me. I will be training each of you to the brink of your physical ability- meanwhile also making up for the poor excuse for education that Hodge Starkweather must have imposed upon you."

She turned and walked along the length of the line of Shadowhunters, inspecting each one carefully. She looked up at Alec's height, and slim muscle tone. "I think running, and general cardiovascular exercises are best for you, Alexander." He affirmed politely.

"Gymnastics for you, Isabelle." She squealed in delight.

Natalie stopped at Clary. "Oh dear, Clarissa," Clary blinked in surprise. "Perhaps dance. We will see." Before she could respond, Natalie had moved on to Jace.

Natalie inspected his flexibility and muscle tone, even arm-wrestling with him on the floor. He won. "Mm. Not bad, Herondale." Jace beamed, then frowned at the use of his name. "Martial arts, definitely." He beamed again.

"Alright then. I'll set up your schedules. For now, grab a blunt blade and pair up."

Natalie watched from one bench, drawing up their schedules. Occasionally she had to tell them to stick to the task at hand, but for the most part they were obedient to their new teacher.

After several minutes and countless defeats, Natalie agreed to spar with Jace as the champion sword-wielder.

Nineteen seconds later, Jace's face was pressed up against the blue mat, the tip of Natalie's blade to his back.

"Ok. You win."

At breakfast, Natalie handed the group their schedules. "These begin as of tomorrow."

"Four AM mornings? I _had_ to be given running, didn't I?" Alec covered his face with the paper, moaning.

"Four hours a day of martial arts? Sweet!" Jace grinned as he finished his toast.

Maryse seemed jittery around Natalie, being overly polite and courteous. The four noticed, but said nothing.

For the rest of the morning, Natalie taught them mathematics and Latin. Reluctantly, Alec admitted to himself that she was a very good tutor, far more organized than Hodge ever was. The lessons, however were far more formal as well. Even though she was their age, it was clear she didn't consider them on her level.

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><p>Lunch was a lazy affair. The Shadowhunter's lessons didn't carry on until late afternoon.<p>

Maryse sat with the teenagers at the kitchen island.

"So what do you think of your new tutor?"

"She's too young" Alec said immediately.

"I like her," Isabelle countered.

Maryse patted Alec somewhat sympathetically. "She has all the qualifications, that's true. Though how she managed to get appointed- Never mind. That's none of our business." Maryse's sudden change of tone seemed to be due to the subject of interest walking in at that very moment.

There was an eerie silence as Natalie chose an apple and took a bite. She looked up. "Something the matter?"

"Nothing." Maryse replied too quickly.

The girl blinked as she strode out of the room, green apple in hand.

Later that day, the group were learning to handle whips and flails, apparently for the first time. Isabelle, obviously, was allowed to sit out.

"No, no, no, Clarissa! Feel the leather as if it were an extension of your own arm-" Natalie winced as the whip lashed Clary across her own face somehow. "Oh never mind, move onto the flail."

Alec, after a few tries, was getting the hang of it. "Very good, Alexander. You Lightwoods move like gazelles." She muttered towards the end of her sentence.

She moved on to Jace and frowned. "I've told you, time and time again, to _swing_ it! Will you not listen, Herondale?" Jace was shaking his arm above his head, tongue stuck out the side of his mouth in concentration. He turned to Natalie and grinned. "Have I been a _bad _student, miss? Are you going to _whip_ me, miss?"

With a swish and a crack, Jace howled in pain. Natalie smirked, ebony whip in hand. "Yes, yes I was."

Jace rubbed his backside, glaring at Natalie with newfound respect. Then he grinned. "Hey Clary, do you think you could learn how to work a whip like that?"

At that moment, Clary threw the flail to the ground and jumped up and down in frustration, looking quite comical. Natalie raised an eyebrow. Jace sighed. "I guess not."

Alec smirked from the other side of the room. "Never thought I'd see you get _whipped_, Jace. Not literally, to any extent."

"Everyone has it in for the beautiful one" Jace whimpered as he straightened to try again with the whip.

Natalie guided his arm with her hands, and near the end of the hour he had the basic idea. If Natalie had had to whip him a few more times to get him to behave, then it was all part of the teaching process.

After the lesson, Jace would be found sitting on an ice pack in the kitchen, Natalie having confiscated his stele after he used it to draw Precision runes on himself during the lesson.

Isabelle, intending on preparing dinner, snickered as she walked into the kitchen.

"Poor Jace, getting well and thoroughly _whipped_ on the first day."

"Enough of the puns already." He moaned, head dropping onto the table.

Clary walked in, pulling up a seat next to him. "How do you feel?"

"At last. My dear maiden is the only one who truly cares." He wiped away an invisible tear. "To answer your question in all honesty- it hurts like a bitch." His sudden change in tone made Clary laugh a little, patting him on his shoulder. "Get better." And with that she walked back out.

Jace sighed melodramatically, standing up gingerly to turn over the ice pack. "Natalie just loves to pick on me. She finds me far too attractive, and has to keep me at arm's length to stop herself from being tempted. Poor girl, so enraptured by my boundless beauty." He shook his head. Isabelle chortled in derision.

With a sharp crack, Jace leapt up in surprise, expecting the burning pain to follow soon after. But Natalie had simply lashed the ground beside him, amused, leaning on the doorframe. The ebony whip that she appeared to own herself was clutched loosely in her right hand, still spread out in its length along the tiled kitchen floor after being used."Enraptured by your beauty, you say? I tell you, Herondale, that right now you are the last man in New York that I would be attracted to."

"How further up does Satan rank?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "The Devil doesn't live in the States, idiot."

As she walked out, Jace's eyes widened.

"Okay, _now_ I'm scared."

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><p>Dinner was awkward. It may have owed to the fact that Maryse shot daggers at anyone who dared to try to start up conversation with Natalie.<p>

Jace coughed, causing the Lightwood matron to instantly glare at him. "So, Natalie, where did you live before here?" Maryse looked like he wanted to strangle the blonde boy, knuckles white around her fork.

"An apartment in Manhattan" Natalie replied with little interest. She was busy trying to pick out the shards of fishbone from the seafood salad that Isabelle had prepared.

"What about your parents?" Maryse's eyes widened in alarm and kicked Jace under the table. Hard.

Natalie seemed unperturbed, and if she had noticed Jace squeaking in surprise, she had ignored it. "Dead." She casually dislodged a small fish skeleton from her throat. "Great salad, Isabelle. Full of protein." Isabelle smiled nervously.

"Oh."

There was silence for a moment, only the very hushed whispers of Alec trying to feed the salad to Church. The blue cat hissed in distaste and stalked off, presumably in the search of something more edible.

"So who did you live with?" Clary's boundless curiosity earned her a kick from Maryse.

"Oh that's really none of your business, Clary! Natalie, I apologize profusely for-"

The girl held up a hand, effectively silencing her. "No need, Mrs. Lightwood. Why shouldn't they ask?" She turned her amber-brown eyes to Clary.

"I lived with my brother and sister, both elder. Our godfather provides for our basic needs- food, clothes, the like." She picked out a piece of seaweed from the mush on her plate. "My sister works during the day and my brother at night, as they had refused to let me work underage and didn't want me home alone. But as you can see, I have now a full time job with which to occupy myself." She said the last part less than cheerily, as if tutoring them was not her ideal idea of a job.

"Thank you for entrusting us with this information, Natalie." Maryse said politely.

Jace, on the other hand, didn't bother with such manners. "So you were the little baby princess, were you? Must be different, coming into the working Nephilim world."

Natalie smiled at him, with a scary false smile that didn't show any teeth. It was the kind of smile Jace imagined that people wore when they were killing people in their heads over and over again. He gulped.

"Amusing observation, Herondale. Keep that remark in mind, tomorrow morning, on the combat mat."

Two words ran through the blonde boy's mind:

_Oh shit._

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><p><strong>I hate to ask for this, but- R&amp;R?<strong>


End file.
